The Rise and Rise of the Cult of the Ego (tags)
All types of people are convinced to buy something to ward off feelings of inner emptiness. A mix of clickbait hyper-capitalism will hoodwink an entire generation. "When you lose control, you reap the harvest you have sown" (Pink Floyd)
Wave of layoffs in the US election campaign (tags)
The corona pandemic triggered the most massive job losses in the USA since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Unemployment rose to its highest level in more than 70 years. In April alone, 20.5 million jobs outside agriculture were cut, according to the government
Sanders Beats Trump and Trump Throws Dynamite in the Powder Keg (tags)
The final question remains: eyes, mouth, ears: are the Democrats imitating the three monkeys again or are they nominating Bernie Sanders? The future of the next four years depends on this decision - not only in the USA, but also in Europe and the world.
The Struggle against Authoritarian Populism (tags)
The US finds itself in the worst crisis of its democracy in decades, perhaps even since the Civil War. The political system has failed. The Democrats are absolutely obliged to protect the country from an authoritarian coup from above. Voting Trump out of office is the only way.
Trumponomics and Wall Street Rejoices (tags)
Economics should be a part of life, not a steamroller crushing creativity and self-determination. The state should serve the public interest and reduce poverty. Trumponomics is a disaster. The poor, seniors, children and students are under a vicious attack.
Social Policy as Social Infrastructure (tags)
Work and income must be uncoupled. In Germany, thanks to higher productivity and information technology, 30% more was produced from 1970-2010 with 30% fewer workers. Demonizing China will not resuscitate the Rust Belt. Social policy is crucial.
Trade War and Zero Deficit Myth (tags)
State debts are often necessary and are not automatically bad economically. Investments are prerequisites of future prosperity. When private parties spend too little, the state must step into the breach.
The democracy crisis, the neoliberalism crisis and the crisis in the Democratic Party led to the Trump victory. Capitalism is largely deregulated with a comparatively meager public sector except for the defense industry.. The legitimation crisis of neoliberalism helps the emancipatory left.
The President as Businessman (tags)
Trump's gigantic tax cuts will only benefit the rich. Revenue losses of six trillion dollars are expected for the first decade after the Trumpian tax cuts start. Trump sells the illusion that the old order can be restored.
Trumponomics: Failure Pre-Programmed (tags)
Macro-economic and ecological connections are simply ignored with the concentration on short-term profit. The planned reduction of corporate taxes from the current 35% to 15 or 20% recalls the Laffer-curve as the basis of Reagan's fiscal policy error.
President Trump - We are Witnesses of a Turn of an Era (tags)
Trump manageed to stage himself as a candidate who waged a crusade against the political establishment. Does politics only give more to the top 1% and lose sight of the remaining 99%. Insulting voters is not competence.
Low Taxes is an Act of Desperation (tags)
A low business tax can be counter-productive if a deadbeat infrastructure arises through lower state revenues. Lowering business tax rates leads first to enormous budget holes. Employees will bear this burden at the end.
Trump and the Hospice of Hope (tags)
That the political culture in the US could wash up a television star and notorious racist to the top of the country was not entirely bizarre. Voter turnout in the US was always low. Politico.com lists the names of all 538 electors who vote on Dec 19. If 37 change their minds, Trump could be blocked.
To Defeat Trump … And the Democrats, Fight for Workers Revolution (tags)
After all the media hype, suddenly it turned out that Republican Donald Trump was elected. The racist, sexist, immigrant-bashing, woman-molesting Trump would be the next CEO of the United States and commander-in-chief of U.S. imperialism. In deep shock and disbelief, tens of millions asked, how could this happen? In Muslim, Latino, African American and immigrant families there was raw fear. Soon mass protests began, with many chanting “Not My President” (as if Democrat Clinton, a certified warmonger, would have been?). At the same time, racist incidents multiplied. It is urgently necessary to fight back, but the question is how? The answer depends on understanding what happened, and why. Trump certainly mobilized the hard-core racist vote, and better-off middle class voters. But what put him over the top was the vote of residents of dying small towns and white workers in the Rust Belt, who have seen their jobs destroyed and cities devastated. The fact is that with their economic policies, the Democrats pushed millions of workers into the arms of Trump. What is urgently needed is to break from the Democrats, Republicans and all capitalist parties and build a class-struggle workers party. Such a party would fight for a program of mass workers action against the deportations, for workers defense guards against racist attacks, and to oppose the imperialist war drive in a struggle leading to workers revolution.
“Paradise Plundered” Takes Aim at San Diego’s Political Culture (tags)
Once upon a time, San Diego had a reputation for being an efficiently governed city whose taxes were low -- and so was its level of services, especially to working-class and lower-income people. Today the level of services is even lower and the city is so wretchedly governed the New York Times called it "Enron by the Sea." What happened is explained in the new book "Paradise Plundered," whose co-author, Vladimir Kogan, came to the Hillcrest Town Council October 11 and talked about the city's infamous pension crisis.
Labor Representatives Under Attack, Seek Queer Democrats’ Help (tags)
Three San Diego union leaders — Central Labor Council CEO/secretary-treasurer Lorena Gonzalez, Municipal Employees’ Association general manager Michael Zucchet, and SEIU Local 221 head Eric Banks — spoke to the predominantly Queer San Diego Democratic Club April 28 on the state of the local labor movement. They focused on the attacks on public workers by the Republican party and the radical Right, which is aimed not only at driving public-sector wages and benefits below those offered by the private sector but also denying the one source of substantial campaign funding available to Democrats and thereby winning elections by eliminating effective competition. They also talked about the Right-wing bias of San Diego’s media and their success in demonizing public workers’ pensions as the source of San Diego’s financial ills.
May 1st: A new class being formed (tags)
This May Day showed our class is beginning to stir. When there is motion, conciousness of class interests is possible
You be the judge: Is Renco robbing steelworker pensions? (tags)
The Renco Group, Inc., is threatening legal action against Workers World newspaper. Its owner is Ira C. Rennert, a billion aire speculator who deals in selling and buying companies, many in bankruptcy. Rennert is one of a growing breed of predators feeding off distressed companies.
America's Middle Class: In the Tank! (tags)
Just about everyday, the news is bad! The economy is going to hell, the Iraqi War continues unabated and the energy crisis is shifting into high gear. One direct result: The Middle Class is disappearing. No Middle Class, no democracy! And yet, our people seem to be sleepwalking through it all. Maybe, Carl Jung was right when he said, “The people can’t stand too much reality.”